How do you perform a free HIN number check on a boat?

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Quick Answer

To perform a free hull identification number, check on a boat, go to the HIN Decoder website, enter the HIN of the boat, and press decode. The websites present you with information about where the boat was manufactured and the year and month of manufacture. You can also see the serial number of the boat, what company manufactured the boat, who owns the company and the years the company was in business.

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Make sure that the year the boat was manufactured falls in the time period when the manufacturing company was in business. Additional information about the company, including name changes throughout the years, is available on the website. HIN Decoder also lists recalls for the model of the boat and reasons for each recall. The website also offers people who are planning to buy a used boat a complete history of the boat and boat insurance.

National Marine Register searches databases of stolen boats based on their HIN numbers.

The hull identification number is a number assigned to the boat by its manufacturer. Each HIN is unique and consists of 12 letters and numbers. It is usually located on the transom of the boat, on the starboard side of the aft end of the hull or on the outermost starboard if the boat has two or more hulls.